Thorn's Spitfire
by Darke-Angyl
Summary: Thorn had never chosen anything for himself... until she came along. Now he feels as if he would never deny her anything. She's turned his world completely upside down, and he's shocked to discover that he's loving every moment.
1. Chapter 1

Alyssa Wynters leaned against the wall of Mystic Heaven, a Wiccan shop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She watched the people passing by out on the street, shaking her head in disgust and wondering if she would ever understand other people.

Other people moved through their lives, never once noticing anyone or anything that didn't directly affect their existence. The ones that passed by the alley she was standing in never even bothered to turn their heads in her direction. They didn't notice or care about the tiny homeless girl who had no one to turn to.

With a sigh, Alyssa shook her head. She knew that nothing was ever going to change. She had known her life would be hard after she ran away from home, but there had been no way she was going to stay living with people who treated her no better than shit scraped off the bottoms of their shoes... even if they were technically her parents. She was tired of being everyone's punching bag, tired of being passed from one man or woman to another so that they could do anything and everything they wanted to her. She was just plain tired.

Alyssa's head snapped up as she heard a loud voice. "Shit," she muttered under her breath, looking for a place to hide. It had been a few days since she had managed to find anything to eat, and she knew she wouldn't be much of a match for anyone in a fight in her current condition. The only spot available in the alley to hide was inside the dumpster that took up the far end of it. She groaned as she hurried over to it and jumped inside, silently closing the lid over her head and trying to hold her breath to ward off the stench.

A group of eight guys came into the alley, laughing and punching each other as they horsed around. "Where the hell is she?" the obvious leader, a guy with dark hair and bright green eyes, suddenly demanded. His five foot eleven inch frame dominated the group of guys as his eyes scanned the alley. "This is where she's staying. Right?"

Alyssa could picture the group of guys as she heard them looking around while they searched for her. She held herself as still as possible, not daring to even breathe as she waited to see how long it would take them to give up... or if one of them would actually show some sign of intelligence by opening the lid of the dumpster and discovering her hiding inside. She clenched her fists, hoping they all remained as idiotic as they had always been.

"ALYSSA!" the leader suddenly shouted. He kicked a large, empty, refrigerator box that must have been her home since she had escaped from them. A blanket and a pillow fell out of the box as it bounced away from him, but there was no other sign that Alyssa had ever even been in the alley at all. "Alyssa!" he shouted again. "You'll never escape us! We'll find you soon, and I swear I will make you mine!"

Alyssa stayed huddled in the dumpster for several long minutes after the voices of the gang members had faded away before she slowly lifted the lid and climbed back out into the alley. She took a deep breath as she looked around. "One more night," she mumbled to herself as she fixed the refrigerator box back to the way she had had it before the gang leader had kicked it. "I can stay here one more night without them finding me, but then I have to move on. This was too close, and they won't stay gone for long.

There was a strange stirring in the air as Alyssa tried to settle herself down to sleep for the night. She heard a voice being carried across the alley on a small gust of wind, and it gave her the chills.

"Night, little one! I shall see you soon!"

Alyssa sat up quickly, peering through the small hole that she had cut into the side of the box, trying to see who it was that had spoken. There was no doubt in her mind that the owner of the voice had been speaking to her, yet she didn't see anyone when she looked around. She didn't know whether she felt more curious or frightened.

Without any noise, a man suddenly appeared in the mouth of the alley. He stood there, staring directly at Alyssa's box as if he knew exactly who was inside of it. He didn't moved a muscle for several moments. He knew that she was watching him, and the fact that she hadn't run off screaming yet intrigued him. He was determined to find out more about the young human, but he knew that would have to wait until she had rested. Without another word, he disappeared.

Alyssa stared, unblinkingly, at the place where the man had been standing for several moments before she closed the hole in the box back up. She didn't know if he would be able to hear her or not, but she decided she would answer him anyway. As she laid down and attempted to get comfortable, she whispered into the night. "Night, whoever you are. You'll have to introduce yourself to me tomorrow."

Alyssa stared up at the top of the inside of the refrigerator box, trying to figure out what it was about the man that made her want to trust him. He had only spoken a few words, and he hadn't stepped out of the shadows, yet she trusted him. Completely.

Alyssa had never trusted anyone in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Alyssa shivered slightly as she woke up, surprised to find that she had not only slept most of the night, but most of the day as well. She never slept that long at one stretch. She usually knew better. It gave her parents and the members of Liam's gang too much of an opportunity to find her and drag her off to wherever they wanted her. Hoping no one was close by, she crawled from her box and slowly looked around.

He grinned as he snapped the neck of a demon that had been causing problems for the humans in New Orleans, sending the creature to Tartarus for Hades to deal with. Feeling something stirring in the air, he flashed himself to Baton Rouge, into the alley from the night before, the one where he had watched the young human evade the ones who had sought to do her harm. He looked around, but he couldn't sense the human. He moved silently into the mouth of the alley to search the nearby streets.

Alyssa spotted the man who had spoken to her the night before as she was climbing out of her box. She knew immediately that it was the same man, even though he had his back to her. It was almost as if he had come looking for her and decided that she must have gone out somewhere or something. Before she was even aware of making the decision, she hurried over and jumped onto his back. She covered his eyes with her hands and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "You didn't tell me who you are before you disappeared last night."

He froze for a few seconds when someone jumped on his back, almost shifting forms until he realized that it was the young human he had been searching for. It shocked him that she had been able to sneak up on him. There was not very many beings in the worlds that had that capability. It made him even more curious about her. He recovered quickly and laughed hard. "You've got spunk, kid! Now... Mind getting off me? I like to see the face of the person I'm talking to."

Alyssa climbed off of the man's back and leaned against the wall of Mystic Heaven, the Wicca shop she had made her home next to. She propped one foot up under her and crossed her arms as she narrowed her eyes at him. "You're the man who was here last night," she stated, quiet conviction in her voice. "Who the hell are you, and why have you been watching me?"

"Has someone forgotten their manners?" he teased, sobering up when she didn't even crack a smile. "All right!" He crossed his arms and looked down on her from his height of six foot eight. "I'm Thorn. You are?"

Alyssa didn't flinch as she met his gaze evenly. "Alyssa. Why did you speak to me last night and then just disappear?" She shifted her weight on her one foot, refusing to give in to the nervousness she was feeling.

Thorn ignored her question, looking around them instead. "You look like you could use a friend," he commented. He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "There are things out here that would eat you as a snack, Alyssa."

Alyssa straightened up, glaring up at him. "I can take care of myself," she informed him. She turned and walked back into the alley, crawling into her refrigerator box where her pillow and blanket were waiting.

Thorn walked over and kicked the side of the refrigerator box. "Oh yeah," he commented. "You're taking real good care of yourself. Get out of there. We'll go get you something to eat." He kicked the box again.

Alyssa opened the window on her box and glared up at him. "I don't take charity, Thorn." She closed the window again, curling up on her side and trying to ignore the pains in her stomach. She clenched her eyes shut, hoping the man would go away and leave her alone so that she could find a new place to live.

Thorn growled, kicking the box again. "Who said anything about charity? I will not have my employees starving themselves. Now get your ass out here!"

Alyssa didn't budge as she responded. "Who the hell says I'm one of your employees?"

"Me!" Thorn answered. "Now get your ass out here, and let's go. I'm hungry, and I'm about to eat a human!" He reached into the box and grabbed her ankle, pulling her out by her leg and holding her upside down in the air by it. "That's better. Do I carry you like this, or are you gonna be a good girl and walk?"

Alyssa felt her ankle break in his grip as she brought her other leg around to kick his neck. She pushed against his chest to try to free herself from his grip, keeping a mask on the pain she felt. She was too weak to do any damage to him, but she refused to be pushed around by anyone ever again.

Thorn laughed at the young human's attempt to get away. He pulled her up higher so that he was looking into her upside down face. "When you're done, I'll put you down."

Alyssa glared at him, but she stopped fighting. "Fine," she responded. "Put me down."

Thorn grabbed her under her arm with his free hand, turning her over and setting her on her feet. As he did so, he sent a surge of power through her broken ankle to repair it. He grinned at her. "Now. What are you in the mood to eat?"

Alyssa gasped, looking up at him as she tested the strength of her ankle. "How the hell did you do that?" She thought to herself as she leaned down to examine her newly repaired ankle. _'I don't give a damn what I eat as long as it doesn't have to be trash again.'_

"As I have told you, there are things out here that will eat you and not think another thing about it." He purposefully avoided answering her question, concentrating on what she was thinking instead. "Come on," he said as he led the way out of the alley and down the street to where a Porsche was parked. "I've got a good burger place you can eat at."

Alyssa surprised herself by following him to the Porsche without any other resistance or questions. She wasn't sure why she was trusting him, but she couldn't stop herself. She climbed onto the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt, watching him closely.

He dropped the car into gear and peeled out, driving across town to a small restaurant. He opened the door for her and led her inside without saying a word the whole time. "You can order anything you want, Alyssa. They have the best food in the city here."

She studied the menu in silence, thinking, _'What the hell am I gonna have to do to re-pay this?' _There were so many options on the menu that she wasn't sure what to order. She knew he had said that she could order anything she wanted, but she was so hungry that everything sounded good. She was afraid of ordering too much and making him angry.

He got impatient when she took too long to order and ordered two of everything on the menu, sitting back to watch her. "Well?" he finally stated. "I know you have questions."

She studied him as she drank the entire glass of water in front of her in one drink, trying to decide what to ask first. "How did you do that ankle trick?"

"I'm a God," he answered simply. "I rule over half of the Nether Realm. You might call it Hell. Others call it Azmodea. I normally choose to destroy things, but I can help sometimes, too." He set his glass of water in front of her so that she had more to drink.

Alyssa almost choked on the water she was drinking. "You're a god, and you want a pathetic human like me to work for you? Why?" She looked up as the waitress came over, immediately grabbing a chicken wing out of the basket the woman set on the table.

"What makes you think you're pathetic?" he quesetioned. "You're what? Fifteenish? You're living on the streets alone and probably have been for a while. I doubt you're pathetic." He smiled as he watched her stuff herself.

"I would think you considered any human to be pathetic if you're really a god," Alyssa commented as she gulped down another glass of water, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Actually," he mused. "Humans are pretty unique creatures. They live their lives in total darkness and believe they are the top of the food chain, and it doesn't bother them." He gave a short laugh.

She looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers. "I know my place well. I'm not a human that will need reminding of it."

"How is that?" He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

She quickly lost her appetite, narrowing her eyes at him. She hadn't meant to draw attention to herself with her comment, hating to thing about, much less talk about, her past. "If you're such a high and mighty god, use your powers and look for yourself. Otherwise, fuck off!" She pushed back from the table, intent on leaving.

"Oooo! Temper! Temper!" He told the waitress to box up the untouched food and give it to the homeless man that was sitting outside before he got up and followed the young human out of the restaurant.

His actions stopped her in her tracks. "Why did you do that?" She looked at him in amazement, completely confused.

"What? Feed the hungry guy outside?" he asked. "I'm not going to eat it, and you have no place to keep it yet. Why let it go to waste?"

She stared at him and sighed, realizing that he was not going to leave her along until she did whatever it was that he wanted her to do. "Exactly what is it you want from me?"

"I have a... friend... who could use some help, and I need someone to watch over her when her mate and I aren't around," he explained.

She shook her head. "Look. I appreciate the food, and I'll find a way to pay you back for it, but if you haven't noticed... I'm not exactly in a position to take care of anyone else. As you so kindly pointed out, I barely take care of myself."

"Listen, Alyssa," he stated. "I am willing to pay you well, get you a place to live in to do whatever. All you have to do is help me."

She sighed. "I couldn't help you if I wanted to. There's nothing special about me. You're a god. Why do you need my help anyway?" She turned away from him, too ashamed of herself to let him see her.

"Because I can't always be here," he explained. "You can. You help me, and I help you. We both win."

"All I have to do is watch this friend of yours?" she asked. "Why can't she take care of herself?"

"Oh she can, and will in time, but she is undergoing a series of changes right now and can't always work in the store," he explained. "She pretty confused right now, and we are trying to help her all that we can."

She looked at him intently, suddenly realizing who he was talking about. "You're talking about Sydney, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," he responded, nodding approvingly. "So you know her. Good. Think you can handle it?"

"I don't know her really. I just know of her. I don't mind keeping an eye on her. I'm in this area all the time anyway." She shrugged.

"Alright. Now let's get you a place to stay." He started leading her back toward his Porsche.

"What do you have in mind?" she inquired.

"There are some apartments within walking distance of the store. I have one already set up you can stay at." He smiled at her. "I make sure I always have at least one of everything that might be of some use when I need to do things up here."

She tried not to get too excited about the thought of a real bed to sleep in, knowing it wouldn't last. She nodded. "Okay." She would stay in the apartment until her job was completed and do her best not to let herself get too used to living there.

He opened the car door for her. "Get in. Let's go!"


	3. Chapter 3

Alyssa got in Thorn's car, keeping one eye on him and the other on her surroundings. She didn't want to lose track of where he was taking her, and she wasn't sure what else he might do to her since he broke her ankle. He himself had admitted that he was capable of anything. She had learned her lesson the hard way about trusting people.

Thorn drove toward the apartment building two blocks up from Mystic Heaven, pulling into the parking area a few minutes later. He killed the engine and gestured toward the building. "Here we go. Your apartment is on the second floor." He handed her a set of keys and showed her which one would unlock her front door.

Alyssa took the keys from him, looking at the building as she swallowed her pride. "Thanks for this, Thorn." It took every ounce of willpower she had to utter those words. She got out of the car and went inside, riding the elevator up to the second floor. After letting herself inside, she walked through the apartment and tried to register the fact that it was hers... at least for now.

Thorn walked in behind her a few minutes later. "The kitchen is completely stocked, and I'll send one of my commanders by later to meet you." He handed her a necklace. "If you need me, just hold this and call me. I'll hear you. Now..." He gestured toward the bedroom. "Rest..."

Alyssa shocked herself by immediately going into the bedroom and crawling onto the bed. She hadn't accepted orders from anyone this easily in a couple of years. Yet, within moments, she was sound asleep. The necklace he had given her was clutched loosely in her right hand, and there was even a small smile on her face.

Thorn stood outside the building, watching over the place. Something told him that the young human would be sleeping for very long, and he didn't want to venture very far until she was a little more secure and sure about what was happening to her. He felt... concern... for the first time in centuries. It felt... strange... to him.

Alyssa woke up after just a couple of hours and started cleaning the apartment, even though there wasn't really anything that needed cleaning. She just felt like she needed to be doing something. She finally decided to concentrate on the kitchen.

Thorn sensed that she was awake and flashed himself into the kitchen, setting a bag on the counter. "Did you sleep well?"

Alyssa jumped, hitting her head on a sharp spot inside the oven. She had been leaning inside of it, cleaning it. "Son of a bitch!" she shouted in pain, staring at his sudden appearance. "How did you do that?"

Thorn laughed evilly. "It's what I do!" He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Now, answer the question.

Alyssa glared at him as she pulled her hand away from her head, revealing blood on her palm. She grumbled under her breath, finally answering him. "I slept about an hour or so."

Thorn passed her a towel to hold to her wound to stop its bleeding. "You sure you don't need more than that?" he questioned.

Alyssa pressed the towel to the wound on the back of her head, wincing and not looking at him. She was trying to keep him from seeing how tired she was. "I don't sleep much." She shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Well, you look like you need to rest," Thorn responded. "Stay here today. Don't go anywhere and try to relax. There's no cleaning that needs to be done or anything else. I'll send the wolf by tomorrow to check on you."

Alyssa had learned quickly not to argue with Thorn, but she was curious who was going to be coming by and why Thorn called him a wolf. Regardless, she shrugged her shoulders and turned her back on him without another word. She went back into the bed room and crawled back onto the bed to go back to sleep.

HOURS LATER

Alyssa woke up to a strange knocking sound, unsure of how much time had passed. She was groggy and not completely sure where she was. She slowly got out of bed and stumbled toward the front door, cracking it open with the chain on it and staring at the handsome man standing out in the hallway.

"Are you Alyssa?" the man inquired. He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet as he studied her through the small opening she had made, knowing she was studying him just as thoroughly. Thorn had warned him to knock and not just flash himself inside.

Alyssa narrowed her eyes. The man standing in the hallway looked vaguely familiar, but she wasn't about to trust anyone.

The man sighed. "Would you rather open the door for me, or would you prefer that I let myself in? Either way, I'm coming inside. Thorn sent me, and he's not someone you say no to."

Alyssa growled under her breath but shut the door, unchaining it and re-opening it so that the man could come inside. "You're wolf?" she questioned.

The man laughed. "Among other things," he confirmed. "Most people call me Lance." He sat down on the living room couch, completely at ease with the situation. He motioned toward the kitchen. "Go fix yourself something to eat, and then I'll take you to meet Sydney. She says she's pretty sure she knows who you are from you coming in the shop a few times."

Alyssa crossed her arms over her chest, not liking the fact that these new people in her life seemed to think they could boss her around. "I ate earlier. I don't need to eat again."

Lance growled in a very wolf-like manner. "Thorn said to make sure you ate, and I can see why. You're nothing but skin and bones. You wouldn't be fit for a meal, much less have enough energy to keep an eye on anyone. Go get some damn food so you can do the job you're being hired to do."


	4. Chapter 4

Thorn decided to go looking for his little imp, Alyssa, to see what she'd been up to. It had been a couple of weeks since he had last checked in on her, and he was a little surprised that she hadn't called for him yet. He hoped that meant that things were going as planned, but he had learned long ago not to rely on things such as hope. She was just stubborn enough to have gotten herself into a situation beyond her control and not called on him despite the need for him. Hoping to find her alive, he flashed himself to the alley beside Sydney's shop.

Alyssa looked up when Thorn appeared beside her. "Hi, Stranger," she greeted him. She gave him a partial smile. "I don't know whether to be offended or proud that you've been away for so long."

Thorn couldn't resist reaching out and ruffling Alyssa's hair. There was something compelling bout her that he found intriguing. "What's up, kid?" he inquired. "Is everything going okay?"

Alyssa growled lightly. "Your lifespan is what's up if you keep calling me kid," she complained. She pointed to the red-skinned demon with the black wings and hooves that she had been watching. It was staying in the shadows of the street, but it was pacing. "Guess it all depends on whether you call that good or not. She's been like that for a while now, almost as if she's waiting for someone."

"Hmm..." Thorn mused as he studied the demon. "My guess is that she is." He glanced at Alyssa. "She hasn't attacked anyone yet, has she?"

Alyssa raised an eyebrow. "Do you honestly think I would have let that go without calling you. You told me to let you know if anything happens. So far, nothing has."

"I'm just making sure." Thorn sighed, looking back at the demon. "She looks like she's missed a few feedings since I've had her mate busy. I'll take care of it."

Alyssa studied Thorn carefully before looking back toward the demon, who had been an extremely sweet, mild mannered shop owner a few hours before. "Is there anything I can do to help either of you?"

"Feed her!" Thorn laughed at the look that crossed Alyssa's face. "I can drop by a few bags of blood for you to keep in your refrigerator. It should last for a few months."

Alyssa looked at Thorn, her eyes confused. "I thought fresh blood was better for beings like you." She shrugged. "I don't mind donating... to either of you."

Thorn shook his head. "I don't need blood the way others do, and because of the power in my blood she'll be satisfied for longer periods of time... as long as she learns to control her hunger." He ruffled her hair again. "It was a sweet offer, though, Aly."

Alyssa shrugged. "Whatever. I guess I can leave now that you have her under control." She pushed off of the wall. "See you around." She started walking away, not even bothering to look back at him.

Thorn nodded, distracted as he flashed in a cup to fill with his blood to get Sydney calmed down this time. "I've got her covered for a while if you need some free time." He smiled. "Thanks, kid. You've been doing great job."

Alyssa started running. She felt rejected and didn't even know why. She intended to run down to the park and work off some of the pent up energy she suddenly had, but instead she ran straight into one of the street gangs before she realized what was happening. Looking up into the face of the one she had run into and realizing it was just any street gang... it was the one that had been hunting her the hardest.

Thorn sensed Alyssa was upset and followed behind her as soon as he had given Sydney the cup of blood. He knew some kind of trouble was coming, but for some reason the details were hazy. He couldn't sense what would happen. He stayed in the shadows, even as she ran into the street gang, waiting to see if his help was going to be needed. He knew that she would want the chance to defend herself if she could.

Alyssa stepped back when the leader she had run into grabbed her arms. She grabbed the belt loops on his jeans, leaning forward and flipping him over her head and onto his back on the street in front of her. She kicked another one in the stomach and dodged another as he came for her, trying to make a run for it. She knew she was outnumbered and wouldn't stand a chance if she didn't get away.

The leader got up quickly and pulled out his gun. He had been searching for Alyssa for weeks, and he wasn't about to let her get away. If she wasn't going to stay with him, he would just have to make sure that she wouldn't be able to stay with anyone. He leveled the gun at her fleeing back, blowing an air kiss in her direction before pulling the trigger, cursing when the bullet missed its target.

Alyssa cried out when a fire unlike anything she had ever felt before sliced through her right knee. She fell, hard, to the sidewalk and looked up to see the leader aiming the gun at her again. She curled into a fetal position, covering her head with her arms as the rest of the gang rushed forward and began kicking and punching every part of her they could reach.

Thorn cursed as he stepped from the shadows and froze the foolish humans in place. "Pick on someone your own size!" he shouted, waving his arm and sending Alyssa to her bed in the apartment before turning his attention back to the gang of humans before him. Without another word, he waved his arms again and sent them all to Azmodea, the hell realm that belonged to him. He flashed himself next to Alyssa's bed and growled. "How badly are you hurt?"

Alyssa looked up at him, trying to keep the pain off her face. "It's not as bad as it probably looks. I've had worse." She pushed herself up into a sitting position, hissing out a breath through clenched teeth as she pushed herself harder until she was up on both feet. When her shattered knee refused to support any of her weight, she grabbed the nearest post of her bed and held on tight.

Thorn studied Alyssa's white and sweaty face, picking her up and gently laying her back on the bed. He grabbed the hole the bullet had made in her jeans and ripped them open. He let out a fierce growl when he saw the damage. "Right! Like you're gonna be able to walk on that!" He knew he could heal the wound easily, just as he had her ankle when she had broken it trying to twist out of his grip when they first met, but an idea suddenly formed in his mind. He flashed a thick fabric into his hand and wrapped it as tight as he could around her knee to stop the bleeding. "I need to take you to the hospital."


	5. Chapter 5

Alyssa's voice was muffled due to her lips and the skin around them beginning to swell. She held her ribs as she tried once again to sit up. "No fucking way, Thorn." She gasped in ragged breaths. "You take me to a hospital, and they'll put me in an orphanage or worse... make me go home. It's not going to happen!" She coughed, a small trickle of blood running out of the corner of her mouth. She glared up at him. "I'm not going," she insisted.

"No one is going to put you anywhere, Al. Relax." Thorn spoke reassuringly as he forced her to lay back down. "You'll have a sponsor there, and your bill will be paid in full." He tucked the covers in around her. "You're gonna be fine. Now, I want you to stay here while I go get your sponsor."

Alyssa sighed, grimacing as she shifted under the blankets Thorn had tucked around her. She knew she couldn't do anything to fight him when she had a hole through her knee. She could also feel several busted ribs, and her face was beginning to swell even more. She growled under her breath as she silently admitted defeat, knowing she had no choice but to allow him to take her to the hospital. "Fine," she responded with another grumble. "Just don't expect me to be happy about it."

Thorn laughed. "You? Happy?" He teased her a little and then sobered, looking into her eyes. "I swear I will see that one day, Al." He reached down and ruffled her hair, taking the opportunity since her arms were pinned by the blankets. "Let me go make sure Sydney's back under control. She can help me get you to the hospital and fill out all the paperwork for you."

Alyssa nodded, trying to keep her breathing even despite the pain in her body. "It's not like I'm going to be going anywhere or anything," she pointed out. "I'm kind of stuck here."

Thorn shook his head, taking a deep breath to keep his irritation reigned in at the teenager's attitude. He was still curious why he hadn't just killed the girl when he first encountered her. It would have saved them both a lot of the misery that they had been through so far. He sighed as he flashed out of her bedroom and back into the alley where he had left Sydney. There was something about the teenager that he felt compelled to protect at all costs. He growled as he saw that Astaroth, Sydney's demon, was still reigning supreme. He narrowed his eyes, his voice commanding. "Astaroth! Heel!"

The demon looked over at Thorn and curled her lip. "Why should I? I haven't killed anyone... yet..."

Thorn growled again as a warning. He manifested a cup and opened a vein in his wrist to give her more blood. "You won't be killing anyone. Period. Drink this and shut the hell up." He handed her the cup as his vein closed back up.

Astaroth started to shake her head, wanting to stay out and play, but the pull of the blood was too strong... even for her. She snatched the cup from his hands and drank the contents within seconds, licking it completely clean. Once there was no trace of blood remaining, she licked her lips and moaned softly in satisfaction.

"I know you can hear me, Sydney," Thorn spoke to his friend's mate once Astaroth had finished drinking his blood. "You have got to learn to get Astaroth under control. Force her to hell. Now."

Astaroth stared at Thorn as her features began to change from demon to human and back again. She threw her head back and let out a scream of frustration. "NO!"

A few seconds later another, softer voice spoke. "She's so strong, Thorn."

Thorn sighed, his nerves already stretched thin from dealing with Alyssa's stubborness. "She's only as strong as you let her be, Syd. You've bot to show her that you are the one in control."

"I can't!" Sydney clenched her fists as her body continued to change back and forth.

Thorn grabbed her, pinning her to the wall of the building in frustration. "I don't have time for this shit, Syd! You can control her, and you WILL control her. I have a young girl that needs your help right now."

The thought of someone in trouble, especially a young girl, gave Sydney the incentive she needed to try harder. She growled and clenched her teeth as she fought an inner battle with her demon, finally bringing Astaroth under control and making her heel. She looked expectantly at Thorn, her breathing a little heavier than normal but slowly regulating itself. "What do you need me to do?"

Thorn put his hand on Sydney's shoulder and immediately flashed them into Alyssa's bedroom. "I need you to play guardian. I can let you know telepathically what to put on her paperwork, but she needs a guardian with her to keep her out of the human foster care system."

Alyssa looked up at the two of them, barely hearing what they were saying. A thin sheen of sweat coated her forehead, and her eyes were glazed over with pain. She reached up for Thorn, no longer fighting going to the hospital for treatment.

Thorn scooped Alyssa into his arms and motioned for Sydney to grab his arm, flashing the three of them into a darkened area just outside of the Baton Rouge Medical Center. He carried Alyssa into the emergency room and laid her gently on top of the gurney that a nurse rushed over to meet them with. He motioned for Sydney to go start the paperwork.

Sydney filled out the paperwork as quickly as she could, listening to Thorn's telepathic instructions. She opened her purse, that had been empty when she had walked in, and pulled out a wallet. Inside was a platinum credit card with her name on it. She handed it over to the clerk to cover the expenses before hurrying back over to Thorn.

Thorn paced back and forth with a nervous energy that surprised him. He spoke without taking his eyes off the floor in front of him. "The doctor's looking at her now. I know she's going to have to have surgery on that knee." He growled under his breath. "I should have just healed her and been done with it."

Sydney knew better than to try to stop Thorn from pacing. She sat down and watched him. "Why didn't you? Who did this to her, Thorn? Who is she?"

Thorn stopped pacing and stared at her. "Lance and I were concerned about leaving you alone while we have to be away. Alyssa was living in the alley beside your store." He frowned. "I don't know what it is I see in that girl. I convinced her to keep an eye on you and let me put her in an apartment."

Sydney stared at him in shock. "You hired a young HUMAN to keep an eye on me? What on earth possessed you to do that?"

Thorn growled in warning. "I have no idea, but it's saved her life and yours. Those humans who attacked her tonight were members of some street gang that she's managed to avoid for the last three years... until I hired her to protect you."

Sydney sighed. "So this whole mess is my fault. Great."

Thorn narrowed his eyes. "It's only your fault, because you haven't learned to control Astaroth. Lance and I keep trying to get you to understand, Sydney. You. Must. Learn. Control. You can not allow her to control you."

"I promise to work harder." Sydney looked around and lowered her voice slightly. "What of the ones who attacked the girl?"

"They have been dealt with." Thorn took a deep breath and sat in one of the chairs beside Sydney. "I can assure you that they won't be bothering anyone else ever again."

Sydney raised an eyebrow at him. "You tell me not to kill humans, but you're allowed to?"

Thorn smirked. "I never said I killed them. I just made sure that they won't bother anyone else." He laughed darkly. "I sent them to Azmodea, and I have a couple of Charonte demons keeping an eye on them."

Sydney shook her head, smirking. "Oh, no. You didn't kill them, Thorn. You just scarred them for all of eternity." She rolled her eyes.

"At least they'll live," Thorn pointed out. "They'll live the remainder of their short lives in Azmodea. I told the Charonte not to eat them."

They both looked up as the doctor arrived.

"It's a good thing that you brought Alyssa in when you did," he said without even bothering to greet them. "She's been taken up to surgery to repair the damage done to her knee, along with some internal bleeding." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Thorn. "Do either of you have any idea who did this to her?"

"The police have already been informed and are searching for them now." Sydney spoke up, repeating the words that Thorn whispered in her mind.

The doctor sighed, slightly less suspicious with those words. "Very well." He studied them both. "There's not a lot that you can do right now. I suggest you go get some rest while you can and come back to check on her in the morning. If anything happens between now and then, we'll contact you with the number you gave us on her paperwork."

Thorn nodded, putting an arm around Sydney's waist and helping her to her feet as if she was a worried guardian. "Come on, Syd. I'll take you home and bring you back in the morning."

Sydney nodded, wiping at her eyes as she laid her head over against Thorn's shoulder to help keep up the charade. She looked at the doctor. "Please take good care of her. We'll be back first thing in the morning."


	6. Chapter 6

Thorn smiled as his thoughts turned to his little Spitfire, Al, wondering how she was doing. He hadn't been able to go check on her since he and Sydney had taken her to the hospital several days before. Sydney had been going in his place and giving him updates. Regardless, he wanted to see for himself that she was okay and, more than that, he wanted her back with him where she belonged. He directed his thoughts to her and sent her a telepathic message. 'Are you ready to come home yet, Al?'

Alyssa almost snarled at the voice she suddenly heard in her head, growling out her response and knowing he would hear her. "You better come and get me, you bastard! I hate it here! You've left me in here for days!" She started picking at the tape that was keeping an IV in the back of her left hand.

'I'm on my way, Spitfire!' Thorn was laughing as he appeared in the corner of Alyssa's room and approached her bed. He looked at her with concern, hating the fact that her skin was almost as white as the sheets that covered her and the bed she was on. "How are you feeling, Al?"

"I'm feeling good enough to kick your ass if you don't get me out of here soon," Alyssa responded. She made a face as she looked down at the cast that covered her right leg from just above her ankle up to her mid-thigh. "What did you let them do to me?"

Thorn sighed. "They had to repair lots of bone and muscle damage from the bullet tearing through your knee." He smirked down at her, tapping her cast. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to stay behind the bullet?" His eyes danced as he teased her.

Alyssa glared up at Thorn as he towered over her bed. "Fuck you," she said with a snarl. "I wouldn't have to worry about it at all if I wasn't human." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You could fix that, you know."

Thorn crossed his own arms and met her glare with one of his own. "Just how do you expect me to 'fix that'?" he questioned.

Alyssa didn't flinch away from the look on Thorn's face the way every other creature did. It was one of the things about her that intrigued him the most. She was determined to get her way, especially now that some of the ones after her had found her again. She refused to allow herself to become a victim again. "I know you could change me. You just don't want to!"

Thorn slowly raised one eyebrow, still feigning ignorance. "Just how do you expect me to accomplish something like this?" He sighed and reached down to brush some hair out of her eyes. "I'm not a vampire who can suck you dry and then give you my blood to bring you back as a newborn vampire, Spitfire."

Alyssa turned her head, not wanting to look at him and have him see that she was fighting for control. "Just kill me and save everyone else the trouble of having me around," she mumbled.

Thorn bristled, his voice rising along with his temper. "I don't do easy way outs!" he shouted. He sighed and sat down on the edge of her hospital bed. "What's so wrong with being human, Al?"

Alyssa clenched her fists, ignoring the IV as it pulls the skin on the back of her hand. She glared up at Thorn, angry tears pooling in her eyes. "I'm tired of being used as a fucking punching bag, Thorn! I fight back! I hide! I do everything I can to protect myself and keep it from happening. It doesn't do any good!"

"Then you should learn to fight smarter and start using the ones who attack you as punching bags instead." Thorn snorted and took Alyssa's hands into his own, squeezing gently. "Listen, Al. Even demons as strong as I am can have their asses handed to them if they don't know how to use the things around them."

Alyssa growled in frustration. "Don't you think I've tried?!" She sat up and jerked her hands out of Thorn's before yanking the IV out of the back of her left hand. She sighed and shook her head. "Just forget it. I'll go back to the streets. It's where I belong."

Thorn growled, the dangerous sound echoing through the room. He manifested a bag with clothes in it for her, tossing it onto the end of the bed. "Get your ass dressed and checked out of here. I'll be waiting for you outside."

Alyssa joined Thorn outside less than half an hour later. She hand the straps of the bag over one shoulder so that she could hobble around on the crutches the hospital gave her to use. She stopped in front of him without saying a word, waiting to see what he would do.

Thorn looked Alyssa up and down before shaking his head. He hated seeing her like this. "Are you ready? I'll take you home."

Alyssa snorted and looked around the darkened streets of Baton Rouge. "I am home, Thorn. Or have you forgotten this is where I came from?"

Thorn growled at Alyssa's obstinate attitude. He grabbed the bag from her and put it up on his own shoulder. "I'm taking you to the apartment to pick up whatever you need from there, and then I'm taking you to my home. You've still got a few weeks of recovery left, and you're not going to be left alone."

Alyssa studied Thorn curiously, her attitude changing almost immediately. She had been curious about where Thorn came from since the moment the two of them had met. Especially after she had realized that he wasn't human. "Where's your home, Thorn?"

Thorn shrugged as he put his hand on Alyssa's shoulder and flashed them into the living room of the apartment. "It's a place called Azmodea. Humans would call it Hell."


	7. Chapter 7

Alyssa wasn't surprised to find Sydney waiting for them as they appeared in the bedroom of the apartment she had been staying in for the past several weeks. She glanced up at Thorn, trying to balance on the crutches she had to use to get around.

"Take it easy, Al," Thorn instructed. He led her over to the bed and eased her onto it. "Sydney, do you have everything gathered up for her?"

Sydney nodded. "Everything is all in the bag." She held it up. "Do you need anything else from me? I should probably go check on things at the store."

Thorn shook his head. "No. I've given Lance some time off for now, but it's not an indefinite amount of time." He narrowed his eyes at Sydney. "You have got to get your demon under complete control."

Sydney nodded. "I swear I will, Thorn. I won't let you or Lance down again."

Alyssa watched the two of them curiously. She was tempted to ask a few of the many questions she had running through her head, but she kept her mouth shut. She fell back onto the bed as the other two continued to talk, not aware that she had dozed off.

Thorn shook his head, a half smile on his face as he looked over and spotted Alyssa on the bed. He had yet to figure out just what he was going to do with the young human, but he knew that she couldn't remain as she was. It just wasn't safe for her… or for him.

Sydney followed Thorn's gaze and smiled. "She's so cute," she commented. She looked back at Thorn. "What are you gonna do with her?"

"I haven't decided yet," Thorn responded before he realized that he had just lied. He suddenly knew exactly what he was going to do with the young human. He scooped Alyssa into his arms, taking the bag and crutches from Sydney before flashing into his home inside of Azmodea.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOUNDARY WALL IN AZMODEA

Noir suddenly snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. He looked over at his sister, Azura, with a sadistic grin. "I just thought of the perfect way to take Thorn down."

Azura's white eyes lit up with interest, her blue skin sparkling as she began to get excited. "What do you have in mind?"

Noir grinned. "I plan on going to Tartarus. It should be easy enough to slip past Hades and his guards."

Azura got even more excited as she began to catch on to her brother's plans. "There's plenty of beings trapped there with either a grudge against Thorn or a willingness to do anything necessary to get their freedom from Hades."

Noir nodded. "Exactly. All I need is to get one of them to agree to exist in a host, at least for a while, and then get some of their blood to make it happen."

"The next Hellchaser created will be under our complete control instead of Thorn's," Azura said, beaming. She walked over to the demon that was currently chained against the wall of the chamber, digging her claws deep into its stomach and pulling off a large chunk of its flesh. She began feasting on it as she walked back over to her brother.

Noir smiled as he took half of the flesh in his sister's hand when she re-joined him. He took a bite of the flesh, closing his eyes as he savored it. Looking up at his sister, he pulled her close. "It's about time that our dear brother learn that he cannot abandon us and get away with it."

IN THORN'S HOME

Thorn carried Alyssa into the room that he had instructed his house demon to prepare for her. He laid her gently on the bed and put her into a deep stasis, needing her to remain asleep while he completed the changes in her. He stared down at her, gently moving some hair off of her forehead. "You asked me to make you something other than human, Al. Let's hope you don't end up changing your mind, because it's too late to go back now. I can't exist any longer without you in my life." Taking a deep breath, he took Alyssa's arm in his hands and brought her wrist to his mouth. He bit down with his fangs, drinking deep and draining her almost completely. Once her heart was barely beating, he let go of her arm and bit into his own wrist, putting it to her mouth. He kept her asleep as his blood flowed down her throat, already sensing the changes happening within her.


	8. Chapter 8

Noir shivered with pleasure as he moved through the halls and tunnels that made up Tartarus. The screams of pain were infectious and fed his powers better than almost anything else. He didn't bother to hide his grin as he stepped in front of the cell that housed the one sought.

Lamashtu was one of the most feared beings in all of history. There were very few with the nerve to oppose her, and it had taken the entire Greek pantheon to imprison her. She looked over at her visitor, sneering. "What do you seek?" she asked.

"Your blood," Noir responded immediately. He knew he should probably be afraid, but he couldn't be bothered to work up the energy that would require.

Lamashtu raised one eyebrow. "In exchange for what?" she demanded.

Noir shrugged, putting on an air of nonchalance that he did not feel. "Your freedom."

Lamashtu laughed at the god's ludicrous idea. "Nice try," she said. "There's no way of getting me out of here. The Greek's have no intention of allowing me to leave."

Noir looked into her eyes. "There is a way if you were to become the means for a new Hellchaser to be created," he explained.

Lamashtu narrowed her eyes. "You will have to forgive me if I do not jump up and down or start dancing for joy, Noir. I do not see your brother here to offer me a job."

Noir growled to hide his surprise at the fact that she knew his identity. He held up a jeweled pin. "There are ways of tricking my brother," he insisted. He pushed the pin through the thin slats in the door of her cell so that she would be able to take it from him. "All you have to do is put some of your blood on this. I'll take care of everything else that is required."

Lamashtu took the pin from him and studied it carefully, her own plan beginning to form in her mind. She laughed again as she poked herself with the needle on the pin, getting her powerful blood on it. After taking a few moments to make a couple of adjustments to the pin without Noir noticing, she pushed the pin back through the slat so that he could take it back. "For your own sake, Noir," she warned him before he had a chance to walk away. "You better hope your plan works."

IN THORN'S HOME

Alyssa stretched her arms over her head as she slowly regained consciousness. She sat up and looked around, realizing that she felt absolutely no pain. This was the first time in her life that she could remember not being in at least a little bit of pain. She didn't recognize the room that she was in, but she remembered that Thorn had said that he was moving her in with him until she had fully healed. She frowned slightly, that memory making her wonder just how long she had been asleep. She no longer had any injuries.

Thorn sat on his throne, listening to reports from Fang and Lance about things that had been happening while he had been caring for Alyssa. He did his best to pay attention to what his head Hellchasers were reporting, but his mind kept wandering to Alyssa. He knew that she should be waking up any time now. He was curious to find out how she was feeling.

Alyssa left the room she had woken up in and walked slowly down the hall, looking around carefully. "Thorn?" she called out softly.

Thorn smiled when he heard her voice. "I'm in my throne room, Spitfire. Come on in here." He looked over at the other two. "Lance, you've met Alyssa before. Fang, this is my little sister, Alyssa. Alyssa, this is Fang. He's one of the leaders of my Hellchasers."

Alyssa's and Lance's eyes both widened as Thorn called her his little sister.

"How long was I out, Thorn?" she asked.

Thorn studied her carefully hiding a smile at the changes he both felt and saw in her. He kept his face passive as he answered her. "Three or four hours."

Fang didn't hide his curiosity as he moved closer to the girl and sniffed her. He looked at Lance. "I thought you said she was human, Lance?"

Lance glanced over at Thorn. "She was," he responded. "What have you done, Thorn?" He put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes.

Alyssa looked at each of them, fire dancing in her eyes without her being aware of it. "What are they talking about, Thorn?"

Thorn growled. "You didn't want to remain human, Al." He looked at all of them in turn. "I am tired of not having someone to share my castle with. I've felt like this little pain in my ass was a little sister since I found her in that damn alley, so I decided to make it official."

Alyssa's eyes widened. "I'm not human anymore?" She looked from one of them to the other and then back at Thorn. "What am I?"

Thorn grinned. "You're my little sister… a primary goddess…" He looked and smirked at Lance and Fang. "… and boss to these two."

Fang growled. "You're our boss, Thorn. No one else."

Thorn glared in warning. "So you have two bosses now." He waved his hand. "I think the two of you need to try getting the hell out of here and getting some actual work done."

Alyssa stared at Thorn as the other two disappeared. "I'm a goddess?"


End file.
